ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The Lobos (11-10, 5-4 MW) look to end their three-match losing streak when they host the Wyoming Cowgirls in a noon match-up on Saturday, Oct. 20.
The Cowgirls enter the match 14-7 and 6-3 in the Mountain West, but are also coming off of a loss as they dropped a four-set match to UNLV on Thursday night.
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Lobos Last Time Out
UNM fell to the Colorado State Rams in straight sets on Thursday night and were outhit .333 to .059 and were out-blocked 13-4. Jaclyn Inclan had 11 assists and a season-high three kills, hitting .500, while Danica Rowan had a career-high four kills and hit .333 in the match. Sabrina Bianco and Mercedes Pacheco led with 15 assists and 10 digs, respectively, and Lauren Twitty had eight kills and the only service ace of the match for the Lobos. Victoria Spragg had one solo and one assisted block to lead at the net.
Setting the Tone
The Lobos have two new setters on the roster in freshman Sabrina Bianco and redshirt-freshman transfer Jaclyn Inclan. Bianco leads the team with 459 assists, averaging 5.53 per set, and Inclan is behind her with 353 assists (4.41 a/s). Combined, the duo has 812 of the team’s 919 assists. Bianco has started 17 matches, registering double-digit assists in all 21 on the season. Inclan recorded a season-high 32 in the match at Air Force and has recorded double-digit assists in all but one match. Inclan also made her first start of the season against the Spartans, and has started in the three matches since.
Serves You Right
Lauren Twitty (15) has the team high in service aces, with Sabrina Bianco one behind her . Jaclyn Inclan (12) and Morgan Schreckler (11) round out the Lobos with double-digit service aces.
Joining the Rankings
Lauren Twitty is fifth in the Mountain West with 3.43 k/s, totaling 281 kills in 82 sets, with the fifth-most kills in the conference, as well as sixth in points per set at 3.95 (324.0 points) with the sixth-most points. Mercedes Pacheco is sixth in digs per set with 3.47.
In just conference matches, Spragg is seventh in the MW in hitting percentage at .295 and is seventh in blocks per set (1.15). Twitty is fifth in kills per set (3.56) and Tai Bierria is ninth (3.00). Pacheco is fifth in digs per set with 3.62 and Twitty is fifth in points per set (4.03).
Nationally, Twitty is ranked in attacks per set (9.80), points, points per set, total kills, kills per set and total attacks (804). Spragg is ranked in total blocks (89) and blocks per set (1.07).
I’ll Have the Double-Double, Please
The double-doubles keep coming for the Lobos, as UNM has 23 on the season. Lauren Twitty had three double-doubles in the last four matches for a team-high nine on the season, with Twitty recording three double-doubles at the UNF Invitational. Tai Bierria has six for the second-most on the team.
In the match at Air Force, UNM had three players with double-doubles with Victoria Spragg (11 kills, 12 blocks), Jaclyn Inclan (32 assists, 14 digs) and Mercedes Pacheco (10 assists, 21 digs). It was the first double-double of the season for Spragg and Inclan and the first of Spragg’s career.
Versus Furman, three New Mexico players had a double-double, but in all three UNF Invitational matches, at least two Lobos had a double-double.
Against Idaho, four Lobo players registered double-doubles. Sabrina Bianco had 30 assists and 12 digs, Inclan had 23 assists to go with 11 digs, in addition to Twitty’s 20 kills and 14 digs and Bierria’s 12 kills and 12 digs.
Just Dig It
Lauren Twitty is pacing the Lobos in digs with 200 digs through 79 sets, an average of 2.53 digs per set. Mercedes Pacheco is second on the team with 195 digs at 3.48 digs per set, followed by Tai Bierria, who has 152 digs (1.95 d/s). Pacheco had a career-high 21 digs at Air Force.
Road Block
Victoria Spragg leads the team with 89 total blocks (14 solo and 75 assisted), with an average of 1.07 blocks per set. Six of her solo blocks came in the matches versus UNLV, Air Force and Nevada. In the match at Air Force, she had a career-high 12 total blocks with two solo and 10 assisted. Mariessa Carrasco is second on the team with 69 total blocks, seven solo and 62 assisted. Lauren Twitty is second on the team in solo blocks with eight.
Scouting the Opposition
About Wyoming
Prior to Thursday’s loss, the Cowgirls had won their last four matches, but they are currently 6-3 and one game ahead of the Lobos in the Mountain West standings. Wyoming is 1-5 on the road this season, 9-1 in three-set matches, 3-3 in four sets and 2-3 in five sets.
Emily Lewis leads Wyoming in kills with 181 (2.45 k/s) and is hitting .214. Cori Aafedt leads the team in assists with 480 of the team’s 943 (6.08 a/s) as well as in service aces with 14, while Madi Fields has a team-high 345 digs (4.48 d/s). Reed Copeland (17 solo, 119 assisted) has 136 total blocks to the lead the team, and is averaging 1.72 blocks per set.
Copeland leads the conference in blocks and blocks per set, as well as the NCAA in blocks per set. Jackie McBride is 10th in the category with 1.09 b/s. Copeland is third in the conference in overall hitting percentage at .348 and McBride is ninth at .304. Fields is second in digs per set and third in total digs, and Aafedt is 10th in assists per set.
Wyoming leads the Mountain West in blocks per set (2.97) and is third in hitting percentage (.247). The Cowgirls also lead in lowest opponent hitting percentage at .162. The Cowgirls are fourth in the NCAA in blocks per set.
Series vs. Wyoming
The Lobos and Cowgirls will be meeting for the 80th time, with Wyoming leading 45-34 in the series. New Mexico and Wyoming split the series last season, with the Lobos winning a 3-0 match on the road and dropping a match against the Cowgirls in four in Albuquerque. UNM is 14-15 in three sets, 11-17 in four sets and 9-11 in five. In the last 10 matches, Wyoming has won seven and four of the last five meetings.